This summer, labor leaders crisscrossed the country with a bold and unmistakable message: It’s Better in a Union. The AFL-CIO’s nationwide bus tour, officially titled It’s Better in a Union: Fighting for Freedom, Fairness and Security, traveled through 26 states over two months, bringing the fight for workers’ rights directly to communities across the country. The tour served as a mobile campaign against federal cuts to critical public services and policies that strip away collective bargaining, highlighting the very real consequences for working families.
Standing up to attacks on workers
The urgency of the campaign was clear from the start. In March, an executive order took effect stripping most federal workers of their collective bargaining rights under the pretext of national security. It targets employees across the Departments of Defense, State, Veterans Affairs, Justice, and Energy, as well as parts of Homeland Security, Treasury, Health and Human Services, and others — affecting roughly 67 percent of the federal workforce.
The federal budget enacted in July slashed billions in funding for healthcare, food assistance, education, and other critical services — deepening the harm to working families and vulnerable communities. Policies dismantling collective bargaining rights combined with austerity cuts weaken unions and also undercut essential public services millions of Americans depend on every day.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler captured the stakes at the July 10 bus tour kickoff rally in Washington, D.C., just a block from the White House. “Donald Trump is trying to end collective bargaining for hundreds of thousands of federal workers, silencing their voices and ripping up their contracts,” Shuler warned. “This order would strike a blow to every American’s fundamental right of freedom of speech and association. More than 70 percent of Americans and nearly 9 in 10 young people support unions — no one voted to attack the freedom to organize with our co-workers for a better life.”
Real-world consequences for families
The tour emphasized that these cuts and rollbacks are not abstract — they have direct, damaging effects on American communities. Federal cuts to healthcare, food assistance, education, and oversight programs compound the harm of anti-union policies. At OSHA, reduced resources prevent safety inspectors from issuing fines or sharing critical reports, leaving workplaces more dangerous. At Health and Human Services and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, weakened oversight puts consumers, workers, and vulnerable families at risk.
The Department of Veterans Affairs illustrates the consequences most starkly. On August 6, it became the first agency to fully implement the executive order, terminating union contracts for more than 400,000 VA employees. At the VA, unions not only safeguard employees but also ensure quality care for the veterans who depend on them. Stripping away these protections — while slashing the very budgets that fund public services — leaves workers powerless and jeopardizes the millions of Americans who rely on them every day.
From city streets to small towns
Throughout the summer, the It’s Better in a Union bus rolled into cities like Charlotte, Ann Arbor, Atlanta, Des Moines, Bakersfield, Phoenix, Tucson, and Harrisburg. At each stop, union leaders, working families, and elected officials stood together to highlight how federal cuts, anti-union policies, and attacks on public services harm families.
In Cleveland, UWUA President Slevin joined workers from the UAW, Bricklayers, and other unions for a rally on August 10, declaring: “Workers power this economy — it’s our labor that makes it all happen. And we’re demanding the freedom, fairness, and security that we deserve!” A live performance by the punk rock band Brute Squad, featuring Local G-555 members Hector Alvarado and Chris Vidler, added energy to the gathering and underscored the spirit of solidarity. The Dropkick Murphys also performed at the event.
At every stop, workers shared their stories — whether from VA hospitals, Medicaid-funded facilities, or picket lines — demonstrating how collective bargaining protections make a tangible difference in their lives and in the quality of public services.
A fight for the future
A recurring theme emerged at each rally: when unions are weakened, working families pay the price. The administration’s rollback of collective bargaining rights, combined with federal budget cuts that undermine healthcare, food assistance, education, and Social Security, leaves families exposed and communities weaker. Union protections are not a privilege — they are a lifeline.
The AFL-CIO and its allies also used the tour to promote the Protect America’s Workforce Act, bipartisan legislation aimed at restoring collective bargaining rights for federal employees. This measure would overturn the executive order and ensure that workers at agencies like the VA, Defense, State, Justice, and others can continue to negotiate for fair pay, safe workplaces, and the protections their communities depend on.
Building toward Labor Day and beyond
The tour culminated in a nationwide week of action leading into Labor Day, celebrating the contributions of working people while mobilizing new energy for collective bargaining rights. AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond captured the spirit of the moment: “Working people are more united than ever to restore our fundamental freedoms and spark an organizing renaissance. That’s why CEOs and billionaires are scared of us — they know our power.”
From Washington, D.C., to Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, and beyond, the It’s Better in a Union bus tour made clear that unions are the strongest defense for working people. They protect wages, benefits, and safety, and they safeguard the integrity of the public services that communities rely on. With every stop, the tour reinforced an enduring message: when workers stand together, we win. It’s always better in a union.